Judge Rejects Texas AG's Attempt to Close Nonprofit That Helps Illegal Aliens

“We’re building a clean energy future‚” says President Joe Biden. Who is “we”? Well‚ you pay for it. He and his “green” cronies do most of the building. Lately‚ they’re pouring more of your money into “renewable energy.” They promise to give us “carbon-free power” from the sun and wind. My new video illustrates some problems with that‚ using scenes from a new documentary series called “Juice: Power‚ Politics and the Grid.” Political scientist Roger Pielke Jr. notes‚ “It’s quite intuitive for people to understand that there’s a lot of power in solar energy. We feel the wind. The idea that you can get something for nothing‚ people find enormously appealing.” Especially in California‚ where politicians now require all new homes to have solar panels‚ all new cars sold in 2035 to be zero-emission‚ and all the state’s electricity to come from carbon-free resources by 2045. They’re getting results‚ but not good ones: California’s cost of electricity increased three times faster than in the rest of America. People in Washington State pay about 11 cents per kilowatt-hour. In Oregon‚ 13 cents. In California‚ now almost 30 cents. Do they at least get reliable energy for that? No. The big problem with wind and solar power‚ of course‚ is that they don’t work when the wind doesn’t blow or the sun doesn’t shine. Sometimes that happens when people most want heat or AC. Increased use of “renewables” is why blackouts are more common in California. Bloomenergy says there were over 25‚000 in 2019 -- thousands more than the previous year. “We failed to predict and plan‚” said Gov. Gavin Newsom. Right. Instead‚ they embraced unscientific green fantasies. Requiring all new homes to have solar panels is a big reason California has the most expensive housing in America. The average house costs almost $800‚000. If you can afford that‚ you get government money for generating solar power. But the handout goes mostly to the rich. Poorer people are more likely to rent. On top of that‚ the subsidy is inefficient. “As their solar panels produce power during the day when the sun is up‚” explains electrical engineer Lee Cordner‚ “They’re able to sell the excess power ... into the grid exactly when the grid doesn’t need it. The grid is then inundated with solar power and can’t use it all. Nonetheless‚ they get paid a very high price for that power.” Nice for homeowners. Taxpayers pay for rich people to have a highly subsidized solar system. I put panels on my house partly because of a tax credit. But I don’t delude myself by thinking that solar power will measurably reduce climate change‚ or that wind power is especially green. “Just to produce one turbine‚ we have to extract 900 tons of steel‚ 2‚500 tons of concrete‚ and 45 tons of non-renewable plastic‚” explains ecologist Merlin Tuttle. “Then we’ve got to transport that and burn fuel‚ getting it all carried across the world. None of these things that go into a turbine are renewable.” And they wear out. Turbines now get shut down in just 10 years for maintenance. Maintenance costs almost as much as a new turbine‚ but it’s worth it to “green” companies because of government handouts. Biden announced an $11 billion subsidy to “bring clean energy into rural communities.” That mostly encouraged people to put wind and solar in inappropriate places. Solar power makes sense in America’s south‚ and other sunny places. But an above average number of solar subsidies go to Minnesota. In the documentary‚ a Minnesota resident laughs and says‚ “The state is about to give me a whole bunch of subsidies to ... build solar in scenic‚ sunny Minnesota.” The “Juice” series highlights the stupidity of government throwing money at “green” schemes pushed by the politically connected. When solar and wind become more efficient‚ they’ll be cheaper and people will adopt them on their own. Politicians should stop their destructive meddling. You can watch the full documentary at JuiceTheSeries.com.

Welcome to Woke of the Weak where I’ll update you about the most woke‚ progressive‚ insane‚ and crazy clips and stories that the left thinks is tolerable and well‚ point out why exactly they’re nuts. This week we talked about how March is Women’s History Month. While we celebrate by thinking about leading ladies who fought for equality for females‚ the left is using the month to celebrate and honor fake women‚ especially the trannies and non binaries of the world who live with a delusional sense of identity. A featured clip shows Lady Gaga and none other than professional toddler and wanna-be girl‚ Dylan Mulvaney. Gaga used Mulvaney‚ a man‚ to promote her makeup brand and celebrate International Women’s Day on March 8. We also heard from some Drag Queen freak who lamented about transgender people feeling alone. He specifically called on young queers and let them know that he loves them. Another freak who insisted on having an audience of children was a drag queen who danced in front of kids in a thong leotard covered in sequins and thin nylon tights. The young kiddos looked so confused and slightly traumatized. That was a similar reaction I felt to the next clip where a transgender comedian insisted that “factory default vaginas are the divine gateway of life.” He also insisted that fake vaginas are better than vaginas that a real woman is born with as the fake ones have the power to “destroy the fabric of Western civilization.” Something else that destroys “the fabric of Western civilization” is the delusion the next individual possessed. He wore a fuschia shirt‚ had long nails‚ dyed his hair pink and even had the transgender flag colored on his eyelids. “I’m a trans lesbian and happy pride and I promise‚ I’m fruity‚” he said.  Yup‚ he’s got two cherries on his chest and a banana hanging between his legs. That just SCREAMS woman!!! Finally we heard from another transgender woman who took his followers with him to the doctor to get his first shot of estradiol and begin his medical “transition” into womanhood. Who’s gonna tell him that it’s never gonna work? Trans people literally get so many holidays and days celebrating their delusions. Whether it’s Trans Awareness Week or month‚ Transgender Day of Remembrance‚ Trans Day of visibility or any of the other made up holidays‚ they simply don’t deserve to also claim Women’s History Month as their own. End of story.

On Monday night‚ NewsNation’s CUOMO hosted the pairing of Chris Cuomo and Tucker Carlson‚ which many didn’t see coming and couldn’t be possible if both remained at their respective former networks‚ CNN and Fox News. Sitting down for a conversation in Florida‚ the former primetime rivals commiserated over their firings‚ how they recovered/how they were recovering (in Cuomo’s view of his own situation)‚ and recalled their on-air feuding. The pre-taped “conversation” (Cuomo made clear this was more than just an “interview”)‚ was the feature of the entire show (with more coming Tuesday night) and began with the two of them commiserating about their ousters and how they were bouncing back. “For me‚ it was more ‘I got myself into this situation I didn't see coming.’ I didn't have any control over how getting fired happened. All I control is what I do next‚” Cuomo explained how he saw his situation. And he was in awe of how well Carlson took his firing from Fox News: CUOMO: But when I met you‚ you were not the way I was. You were the brûlent‚ you were laughing and you were‚ “Yeah. Well‚ let me tell you‚ it was a favor to me and this is going to be okay. I'm going to be Fine. This is a weird world. And now I know things I didn't know before.” CARLSON: Yeah. CUOMO: And I thought that that was a real blessing for you.     Getting fired from Fox didn’t harm Carlson’s outlook on life. According to him‚ he “had this kind of supernatural sense that everything is going to be fine. And that in the end‚ you know‚ you die anyway. So‚ what are you afraid of exactly?” He also argued‚ with a laugh‚ that “a little public humiliation” was good for a man: And I also had done it for too long‚ you know‚ too long too long same gig. It's good to be. And I have been fired before a couple of times. So‚ it's going to be fired because it brings you low and you don't become the overbearing asshole that every TV personality is on some level. I mean‚ I already am that. But [Laughter] it kept it in check a little bit. A little public humiliation is really important a man. I would recommend it to all men. “You had more resilience about this than I did‚” Cuomo commended him. “I still feel like I’m on one knee and getting back up. And what motivated me to come back was: one‚ my wife told me that I had to.” Later in the hour‚ Cuomo pressed Carlson on why he would pick on his workout videos on Instagram. “It was taking the cheap shots‚ which I'm not always above‚” Carlson admitted‚ saying he felt “a little dirty” about doing it. “Dirty-good?” Cuomo quipped. “My in-laws watch you!” Cuomo announced. “Do you know how hard it is to deal with having your in-laws enjoy a joke that makes you want to‚ you know‚ do bad things that are going to cause you civil litigation money?” As NewsBusters reported in October 2020‚ Cuomo said he wanted to “choke” and “punch” his critics at Fox News. The transcript is below. Click "expand" to read: NewsNation’s CUOMO March 11‚ 2024 8:11:03 p.m. Eastern (…) CHRIS CUOMO: For me‚ it was more ‘I got myself into this situation I didn't see coming.’ I didn't have any control over how getting fired happened. All I control is what I do next. But when I met you‚ you were not the way I was. You were the brulent‚ you were laughing and you were‚ “Yeah. Well‚ let me tell you‚ it was a favor to me and this is going to be okay. I'm going to be Fine. This is a weird world. And now I know things I didn't know before.” TUCKER CARLSON: Yeah. CUOMO: And I thought that that was a real blessing for you. What did you figure out that you didn't know before? CARLSON: You know‚ I loved working there. I was there 14 years. They were always nice to me. So it's not an attack on them to say that I was hemmed in by the fact that I work for someone else. And that's just the nature of the relationship. No matter how free you think you are‚ part of you is assessing like‚ “Well‚ I actually am an employee. I do have a boss.” And I knew that he disagreed with me on a bunch of big topics. And to their great credit‚ they never tried to change my views on those topics. But you aren't fully free if you work for someone else. Like‚ that's how I felt about it. And I just had reached this time my life where I felt like‚ “There was all these really important things going on. I want to be as honest as I can possibly be at all times.” And that was a hindrance to me. So I --- And I also had this kind of supernatural sense that everything is going to be fine. And that in the end‚ you know‚ you die anyway. So‚ what are you afraid of exactly? And I also had done it for too long‚ you know‚ too long too long same gig. It's good to be. And I have been fired before a couple of times. So‚ it's going to be fired because it brings you low and you don't become the overbearing asshole that every TV personality is on some level. I mean‚ I already am that. But [Laughter] it kept it in check a little bit. A little public humiliation is really important a man. I would recommend it to all men. (…) 8:15:19 p.m. Eastern CUOMO: You're tougher than I am. I'm not physically. I would literally twist you like a Band-Aid. [Laughter] CUOMO: But you are – you – you had more resilience about this than I did. I still feel like I’m on one knee and getting back up. And what motivated me to come back was: one‚ my wife told me that I had too. Two – [Laughter] She was like you got to get up and‚ you know‚ we've got kids. You got to get up. You got to do something with your life that is helping people and making something of this place. Get up. Do something with your life. Okay. CARLSON: Was that was response? “Okay?” CUOMO: My response was‚ “get away from me and my bottle!” [Laughter] (…) 8:51:15 p.m. Eastern CARLSON: It was taking the cheap shots‚ which I'm not always above. But you should be you should be about that. CUOMO: Did it feel good when you would come after me like that? CARLSON: It felt a little dirty. Felt a little dirty. CUOMO: Dirty-good? Or dirty-dirty? CARLSON: You know‚ I'm not really a dirty-good guy. [Laughter off camera] Do you know what I mean? CUOMO: Cause you enjoy it. Let me tell you‚ there were no shame in your game. CARLSON: You know‚ there is a moment – everyone in the room – the cameras aren’t picking up all the people sitting here – [Laughter] I mean‚ in the sense that… You know‚ I don't want to use any kind of sexual metaphor‚ but there is one for this. It's like something you shouldn't be doing but there's kind of animal thrill of doing something wrong. I guess is what I would say. CUOMO: You loved it! [LAUGHTER] You loved it and it worked for you – CARLSON: But I will say this – I will say this -- CUOMO: My in-laws watch you! Do you know how hard it is to deal with having your in-laws enjoy – CARLSON: [Laughter] CUOMO: -- a joke that makes you want to‚ you know‚ do bad things that are going to cause you civil litigation money? CARLSON: Somebody did say‚ “You know‚ Chris Cuomo is a lot bigger than you. Maybe you should be careful.” I just couldn't‚ you know‚ I almost right. I have weaknesses. I will say. I don’t have – I don’t think I have a weakness for women. I gave up drinking many years ago. But I still I'm still beset by the weaknesses of the flesh and one of them this mockery. I just can't help it. (…)

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) ratified House Bill 1557 in March 2022‚ making the Parental Rights in Education Act the law of the land despite sustained opposition and mischaracterizations by woke corporations‚ the liberal media‚ and radical leftists in the Biden administration. After the bill's passage‚ critics' hopes centered on a legal challenge brought against Florida by a band of LGBT activists keen on nullifying the law. The challengers' desperate two-year effort to scale back parental rights and ensure that sexualizing propaganda could thrive in the classroom did not ultimately have the impact they likely hoped for. The DeSantis administration and the LGBT challengers filed a settlement Monday‚ bringing the legal battle to an end. While touted as a win by the LGBT challengers‚ the parental rights law won't actually change — the Sunshine State need only provide school districts with greater clarity about how the law ought to be implemented. "We fought hard to ensure this law couldn't be maligned in court‚ as it was in the public arena by the media and large corporate actors‚" stated Ryan Newman‚ general counsel for the DeSantis administration. "We are victorious‚ and Florida's classrooms will remain a safe place under the Parental Rights in Education Act." The law The Parental Rights in Education law prohibits teachers from taking up issues of sexual orientation or gender identity in K-3 classrooms; ejects age-inappropriate content at higher grade levels; and notifies parents about forthcoming healthcare services offered at school at the beginning of every school year‚ affording them the opportunity to opt their kids out. When DeSantis ratified the law‚ Florida Lt. Gov. Jeanette Nuñez (R) said that the law had been "maliciously maligned by those who prefer slogans and sound bites over substance and common sense." "Fortunately‚ Governor DeSantis and I believe that parents should have a say‚" continued Nuñez. "We will not back down to woke corporation and their same tired tactics that are steeped in hypocrisy. As a mother of three‚ I am committed to protecting the rights of parents." The challenge The affirmation of parents' natural rights along with the protection of children from both sexualizing content and non-straight propaganda proved too much for some LGBT activists to bear. A group including Equality Florida‚ the National Center for Lesbian Rights‚ Kaplan Hecker &; Fink LLP‚ and Family Equality originally sued DeSantis and the Florida State Board of Education the day after the law's passage‚ claiming the Parental Rights in Education Act amounted to "an effort by the state to use its power over public schools to demean and deny the existence of people whom the Supreme Court has repeatedly held to be protected." The complainants also claimed the law was too vague‚ alleging "nobody knows exactly what the statutory language covers." The U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida‚ Tallahassee Division‚ tossed the activists' complaint in September 2022 for lack of legal standing. U.S. District Judge Allen Winsor noted that the "principal problem is that most of plaintiffs' alleged harm is not plausibly tied to the law's enforcement so much as the law's very existence." The complainants were given an opportunity to amend their complaint and did so in October 2022. Florida sought dismissal of the amended complaint in late November 2022 because it apparently suffered the same mistaken view that sunk the previous attempt. Evidently‚ Winsor agreed. Winsor reportedly tossed the suit again in February 2023. "Plaintiffs have shown a strident disagreement with the new law‚ and they have alleged facts to show its very existence causes them deep hurt and disappointment‚" wrote the judge. "But to invoke a federal court's jurisdiction‚ they must allege more. Their failure to do so requires dismissal." The settlement The complainants and the state filed an agreement Monday with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit‚ which serves to clear up the LGBT activists' apparent confusion about the letter of the law. While the law will remain in place‚ Politico reported the Florida Department of Education is required to reiterate what the law actually entails. For instance‚ the FDOE must inform school districts that the law bars "classroom instruction" on so-called gender identity and sexual orientation. That also means a neutral approach must be taken on matters of sexuality‚ such that it is impermissible to tell children that straightness is superior to non-straight sexual preferences. Among the various clarifications that appear to correspond with Republican lawmakers' original intent and design is the indication that teachers are barred from instructing on topics of sexual preferences and so-called gender identity‚ but are not forbidden from "mere discussion of them." Additionally‚ the clarifications detailed in the settlement highlight that the "Statute restricts the use of books 'to instruct' 'students on the concepts of sexual orientation or gender identity' ... but the Statute does not restrict mere 'literary references to a gay or transgender person or to a same-sex couple.'" "Per the agreement‚ the challengers will drop their case and their claim that the Parental Rights in Education act is facially unconstitutional." It is expected the court will now dismiss the case in short order. The response The governor's office noted in a Monday statement that‚ upon signing the bill in 2022‚ "in typical fashion‚ the activists turned to the courts to stop the legislatively enacted will of the people. Frequently carrying water for the activists‚ the media wrote countless stories lying about the intent‚ design‚ and application of the law." "The activists carried these same lies into the courtroom‚" continued the statement. "Thankfully‚ to no avail." The governor's office touted the settlement as a win‚ stressing the "law remains in effect‚ and children will be protected from radical gender and sexual ideology in the classroom." The activists behind the challenge attempted to paint the outcome as a "historic settlement agreement." Although the law is unchanged‚ Kaplan Hecker &; Fink LLP claimed in a joint statement‚ "The agreement effectively nullifies the most dangerous and discriminatory impacts of Florida's controversial 'don't Say Gay Law‚' and makes clear that the law must be applied neutrally and is no license to discriminate against or erase LGBTQ+ families." Roberta Kaplan‚ lead counsel for the challengers‚ continued to advance the false narrative about the law in her remarks‚ stating‚ "Simply put‚ the State of Florida has now made it clear that LGBTQ+ kids‚ parents‚ and teachers in Florida can‚ in fact‚ say that they are gay." "This settlement is a giant step toward repairing the immense damage these laws and the dangerous political rhetoric has inflicted on our families‚ our schools‚ and our state‚" said Nadine Smith‚ the executive director of Equality Florida. "The message to school districts‚ superintendents‚ and teachers alike is clear: Protect every student and respect every family." Jaymes Black‚ the CEO of Family Equality‚ claimed that "compassion has been restored to the classroom thanks to today's settlement." Bryan Griffin‚ communications director for DeSantis‚ lambasted the Associated Press for pushing the LGBT activists preferred narrative regarding the law and the settlement. "They lied when it was a bill‚ parroting activist scare tactics that it could somehow punish student to student conversation ('Don't Say Gay')‚" wrote Griffin. "Now that the activists lost in court today (the law remains in effect)‚ they run a headline like this making it seem like something has changed. It hasn't." "Kids remain safe in Florida from radical gender and sexual ideology being forced on them by adults without the knowledge of parents‚" added Griffin. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

For years‚ people have been predicting a “vibe shift.” You know the one I mean: the shift away from wokeness. And in anticipation of this vibe shift‚ everything seems to spell its death knell. Bud Light’s disastrous decision to make Dylan Mulvaney the center of its advertising campaign? Woke’s over. Victoria’s Secret’s “disability-friendly” lingerie line flops? Woke’s over. The New York Times is critical of the once-sacred cow of childhood gender transition? Woke’s over. Shane Gillis says “retarded” on “Saturday Night Live‚” the very same show he was fired from in 2019? Woke’s over. Blonde bombshell Sydney Sweeney plays a Hooters girl the following week? The vibe shift is real‚ but it’s more of a gradual evolution than a sudden revolution. You get the picture. It’s doubtful whether the “end of woke” can be signaled with a single‚ discrete event‚ but it does seem like it’s more than just wishful thinking. Attitudes are changing‚ and it’s palpable. But the skeptics have a point‚ too: They might be changing‚ but they’re not changing that much. I have a hunch that we’ll never fully “put the woke away.” Whatever this is‚ it’s just a “market correction‚” so to speak. People are moderating. Sanity isn’t being restored; it just seems like it’s just going to be saner than it’s been. I began to suspect that culture would start changing sometime in late 2019. We were a good six years into “the Great Awokening” by that point‚ and people were rebelling. Not the usual suspects‚ not people who would have been on the right either way‚ or people who’d been canceled and had defensively moved away from progressiveness‚ or even those who claimed that “the left left them.” No‚ it was a mixed bag of teenagers and intellectual 20- and 30-somethings. In other words‚ the demographic you’d expect to be self-styled Marxists were now adopting more right-leaning positions. This transformation was always intuitive to me. Of course the hippest people would start to recoil at leftism as institutions and corporations more wholeheartedly embraced it. Their former Marxist stances were likely motivated by the same impulse. There’s a certain cachet in being able to tell older people that they’re squares who don’t get it. But we were living in a world where there was no longer anything shocking about communism or the farthest reaches of identity politics. It was getting hard to push the envelope with the same old tricks. As the left was stripped of its “revolutionary potential” (read: its success rate in shocking olds)‚ the only direction to go was right. And people did. Then COVID-19 happened. As draconian lockdown and vaccine policies descended upon us‚ people started to wake up. This time‚ it wasn’t raw rebellion; it was common sense. If the media under the Trump administration hadn’t been a wake-up call‚ then COVID was‚ as the Centers for Disease Control and the press moved in a confusing lockstep‚ contradicting themselves day after day‚ finding new ways to obfuscate reality and guilt the American people. We still weren’t out of the woods‚ but there was another dent in the façade. In early 2022‚ a New York bachelor dubbed “West Elm Caleb” was canceled and subsequently publicly shamed by seemingly everybody for the “crime” of dating multiple women at once and ghosting them. People swarmed the kid like he was red meat tossed in a shark tank. But then something weird happened. Just as quickly as they’d been outraged‚ people started to snap out of it. Even well-known leftist firebrand journalist Taylor Lorenz criticized social media’s swiftness to condemn this guy over what amounted to basically nothing. The conversation shifted from publicly shaming West Elm Caleb to questioning what we were using social media for and why we were so inured to filming everything around us‚ waiting for strangers to slip up so we could expose them. It was a flash point. Mass callouts over nothing just weren’t cool any more. That kind of behavior wasn’t going to win you any clout. You were just going to look foolish. I noticed other‚ more subtle changes in people’s attitudes‚ too. On social media‚ it felt like there was increased honesty about the social trends of the last decade: the pitfalls of gender transition‚ remaining unmarried‚ or forgoing children. There was also more willingness to poke fun at nebulous identity categories outside the right-wing culture commentary space‚ where those types of observations had long just been conventional wisdom. For example‚ so-called “asexuals” who have sex or “lesbians” who date men. No more walking on eggshells. None of this means that people are becoming “anti-woke‚” that these identities will disappear‚ or we’re ushering in a new golden age of “politically incorrect” culture. We just have a little more self-awareness now‚ from cancellation to identity‚ about how these norms are policed. Take the conversation around gender transition‚ for example. Telling a transgender woman‚ “You’ll always be a man‚” will probably get you labeled a bigot. It most certainly will‚ actually. The “vibe shift” is that a more honest and nuanced conversation about what medical transition entails‚ replete with asking questions or expressing doubts‚ will not get you slapped with that same label. Whereas in 2019‚ it would have. The culture shift is that people are becoming less prescriptive about what can and cannot be said. It's a balancing act‚ as society tries to find a middle ground — we’re moving away from the rigid orthodoxy of the recent present‚ but not so far away that anything goes. The vibe shift is real‚ but it’s more of a gradual evolution than a sudden revolution. Shane Gillis can say “retarded” on SNL now‚ but he’ll still share the stage with Bowen Yang‚ who’ll probably be shaking his head in disapproval.

Leftists in California and online are howling with outrage after a Southern California city voted to restrict the flags that can fly on public property.Last week‚ Huntington Beach‚ a city of nearly 200‚000 residents about 35 miles south of Los Angeles‚ voted to approve an amendment to the city charter that would limit the city to flying flags representing America‚ California‚ Orange County‚ the city‚ the Olympics‚ the six branches of the Armed Forces‚ and American MIAs and POWs as well as any other flag unanimously approved by the city council.The amendment passed easily with 58% voting to approve it. The L.A. Times made sure to note that "turnout was low" and that just 23% of registered voters in the city cast a ballot.The measure makes no mention of the Pride flag‚ but many critics claim that the Pride flag was the real‚ unspoken subject at hand. "They flat-out said this is not about banning the Pride flag‚" said Council Member Dan Kalmick. "They’re full of s**t. Of course it’s about the Pride flag."Kalmick is a longtime California leftist who boasts in his government bio that he has worked tirelessly "expanding housing options‚ promoting the equal rights of minority groups‚ and addressing the growing homelessness challenges in the city through a compassionate and results-driven approach." On social media‚ he railed against voter ID laws and‚ as recently as September‚ admitted driving to a pharmacy an hour away so that his two young children‚ both under age 5‚ could receive COVID vaccine boosters.Kalmick and others also seem upset that voters elected four conservative-minded council members in 2022‚ partially in response to the council's unanimous decision in 2021 to fly the Pride flag throughout the month of June. And indeed‚ all four council members whose terms expire in 2026 supported the amendment: Mayor Tony Strickland‚ Mayor Pro Tem Gracey Van Der Mark‚ and Council Members Pat Burns and Casey McKeon."To me‚ it’s demeaning to the LGBQ [sic] community to fly that flag‚" Burns said recently. "Everybody has got something they can identify with‚ and I don’t believe it’s our government’s position to start playing those identity politics games."In an editorial about the passage of the flag measure as well as a measure about voter ID‚ the L.A. Times claimed that Huntington Beach had sent a "MAGA message" full "of hatred and intolerance." Peg Corley‚ executive director of the LGBTQ Center Orange County‚ likewise slammed the voters' choice. "The LGBTQ community is not a political statement nor a special interest. We are people who wish to live our lives without suffering hate or discrimination for who we are‚" Corley's statement read in part.In response to the vote‚ LGBTQ+ activists have even apparently taken to defacing public property to demonstrate their displeasure. A SoCal reporter shared photos on X that indicate that Pride flags and the message "WE BELONG" were spray-painted on the exterior of the city library and a nearby intersection. — (@) Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Under the glaring Las Vegas sun‚ a conference called RePlatform took place last Friday at the Horseshoe Casino. The conference showcased companies fighting the trend of giant corporations de-banking and deplatforming dissenting views. In an ironic twist‚ the conference was deplatformed by a Big Tech company. Stripe‚ one of America's major payment processors‚ has withdrawn its services from the freedom economy conference RePlatform Vegas. Despite this setback‚ the conference proceeded as planned Friday‚ March 8‚ to Sunday‚ March 10‚ in Las Vegas. The event aimed to connect companies‚ investors‚ and consumers within the parallel economy in response to the deplatforming efforts of corporate America. During the preparations for RePlatform‚ the organizers encountered multiple attempts at cancellation. The organizers allege that Stripe withheld tens of thousands of dollars essential for the conference's production‚ thereby jeopardizing the efforts of this new startup. David Ragsdale‚ RePlatform's chief executive officer‚ spoke with Blaze News to recount the conference’s challenges. “During our heaviest marketing blitz‚ Stripe sequestered our funds on the basis of one refund request‚ forcing us to pause sales to switch to GabPay and changing the entire nature of our conference into a B2B networking event. The fact that most of Stripe’s competitors are at RePlatform is interesting‚” Ragsdale explained. “This is why we need the parallel economy to grow faster‚ proving the point of RePlatform.” Fortunately‚ a featured company at the conference was able to step up and handle payment processing. GabPay is an alternative payment service offering online‚ real-time transactions; credit card merchant processing; and banking services. GabPay COO Dan Eddy explained why what happened to RePlatform is emblematic of a larger trend in the financial services sector: Companies and individuals can lose access to financial networks at the arbitrary whim of Big Tech. “Stripe’s growth and technology offering is nothing short of amazing. However‚ its seemingly arbitrary process closing accounts for community guidelines violations is crushing small businesses‚” Eddy told me. While it was a massive inconvenience for the organizers and attendees‚ it does highlight why a conference like RePlatform is so essential at this moment‚ as a culture of censorship is permeating major tech and financial platforms. This trend of canceling voices that speak out on issues as diverse as COVID-19 to the war in Ukraine should be very concerning for anyone who cares about free speech. It’s bad enough to be removed from social media‚ but when individuals and organizations are barred from participating in standard banking and financial services‚ it signals a terrifying new front in the war on free speech. China has used this tactic to great effect to silence domestic political opponents‚ and sadly‚ it’s becoming a reality for Americans critical of mainstream opinions. I spoke with Joe Rodgers‚ the publisher of Bitcoin magazine‚ about this trend. “I was de-banked from Bank of America‚ so this is not something we're unfamiliar with. Amex quit credit card processing for us because we're a Bitcoin business‚ so we’re unfortunately familiar with this reality‚” Rodgers said. “I think that's why this conference is important.” Despite the setbacks and the ominous trend of censorship‚ the attendees I spoke with were excited about the future. Events like RePlatform highlight a movement that cares deeply about freedom of speech and is building the tools needed to fight back. Stripe did not respond to a request for comment.

School officials in Southeastern Indiana apologized to parents after a student was asked not to fly an American flag from the back of his truck on school grounds.Cameron Blasek was asked by school staff at East Central High School to remove the flag from his truck. The school district later explained that the concern was due to the idea that should one flag be flown‚ all other flag types would be allowed.This was not explained to Blasek when he was approached by a vice principal and counselor."'Hey‚ Cameron‚ you got to remove the flag from the back of your truck.' I said‚ 'It's not happening‚'" Blasek told local outlet the 765. "I told them it would be there all day today and first thing in the morning tomorrow‚ too. Then they said if you don't take it down‚ you are getting written up for insubordination. Then they said we could go to the office and talk about it more if I would like."Later in the same day‚ Blasek was called to the office to discuss the situation again. He showed school officials that he was following both laws related to the flag and the school's code of conduct."I read through the Central 2023/2024 handbook‚ and the word 'flag' wasn't even mentioned in the parking lot or driving section. The only section it's mentioned in is the flag twirling section‚" the teenager told WCPO 9.After the boy told his parents‚ his father appeared to make a lengthy post on Facebook regarding the incident."In my opinion‚ if you are offended by the American flag‚ then leave the United States of America! If this was any other flag‚ would something have been said?" the father asked. "I don't know‚ but we can not be offended by Freedom of Speech‚ and why does someone in the position that a high school principal is in think it is okay [to] take away our freedom of speech? We stand by our son."The father also claimed that the school intended to change its rules regarding flags the following school year."[My son] was also told it will be in the student handbook next year that students cannot fly the American flag." — (@) The day following Blasek's meeting with his educators‚ nearly two dozen other students showed up with flags attached to their cars. Blasek was called to the principal's office nonetheless."[Principal] Black told me the school has a right to request that I remove the flag‚" Blasek said. "I pretty much told him‚ well‚ you are just asking me to‚ but I don't have to." The principal reportedly told the child it was okay to fly the flag for the remainder of the year‚ seemingly confirming what the boy's father had claimed about upcoming rule changes.A subsequent letter was sent to parents by the principal that expressed that the school encourages "expressions of patriotism and pride in our nation among our students and staff.""After careful consideration and in recognition of the importance of the U.S. flag as a symbol of unity and national identity‚ I am pleased to inform you that we are allowing the display of the U.S. Flag by students in the East Central parking lot. I understand the significance of this symbol and the pride it instills in our students‚ teachers‚ and the entire school community. I share this pride‚" Principal Tom Black wrote.Superintendent Andrew Jackson justified the school's actions by stating that the administration "was under the misunderstanding that if we allow students to display the U.S. flag in the parking lot‚ then we must allow them to display all other flags as well.""They were concerned that we would be required to allow flags that are controversial or even offensive‚" Jackson added.Blasek cited national pride as the reason that he flies the flag proudly."Men and women fought and lost their lives for me and others to have the right to fly that flag in our front yard and our trucks. I respect and appreciate those heroes for that. I also believe it's one of my rights as an American to fly that flag‚ as it says in my First Amendment right‚" Blasek concluded.The teen added that he is contemplating joining the military following high school.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

New Orleans Police Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick put the infestation problem plaguing the department in stark terms — particularly in regard to the evidence room that she said has become a kind of smorgasbord for rodents."The rats are eating our marijuana‚" Kirkpatrick said Monday at a City Council Criminal Justice Committee meeting‚ NOLA.com reported. "They're all high."Besides consuming narcotics in the department's evidence room‚ she also said rodents have been scattering feces across desks‚ the outlet noted. Cockroaches also are making the rounds‚ NOLA said."It is not just at police headquarters. It is all the districts. The uncleanliness is off the charts‚" Kirkpatrick also said‚ according to the outlet. "The janitorial cleaning [team] deserves an award trying to clean what is uncleanable."Other problems at the aging criminal justice complex near Orleans Avenue and North Broad Street include heavy mold as well as deteriorating HVAC units‚ elevators‚ and plumbing systems‚ NOLA added.More from the outlet:Kirkpatrick's assessment came as she lobbied to relocate department headquarters to a downtown high rise. The council is considering a 10-year lease on two upper floors of 1615 Poydras Tower‚ a temporary move while the department maps out future long-term housing‚ she said.Kirkpatrick also said the department's overall condition likely is a "turn-off" to potential out-of-state transfers — not to mention for present employees‚ NOLA noted: "It's not OK‚ and it's not OK for people to be treated that way and be called valued."A motion to authorize the pending lease agreement cleared the committee and goes next to a full council vote‚ the outlet said."I foresee most of the criminal justice agencies will have to be temporarily housed as we address these old decrepit buildings‚" Chief Administrative Officer Gilbert Montaño said‚ according to NOLA. "The Herculean lift of being able to move police headquarters was a challenge. There's a contemplation for the overall finalization of the campus‚ but right now we are addressing police headquarters because it is in dire straits."The outlet reported that the city would pay total base rent of $7.6 million from its general fund over 10 years under the terms of the lease agreement."It's a good deal for the city to move here‚" Montaño also said‚ according to NOLA‚ given that repairing the present headquarters would cost three times as much. 'They're all high' | Rats eating marijuana‚ broken AC‚ roaches‚ plague NOPD headquarters youtu.be Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!